As a dedication to the necessary move away from cultural essentialism, this research explores one of its prominent counter-concepts, cultural hybridity, by combining the following research...Show moreAs a dedication to the necessary move away from cultural essentialism, this research explores one of its prominent counter-concepts, cultural hybridity, by combining the following research questions; What is meant by the concept of cultural hybridity? How does this concept apply to Kengo Kuma's (隈研吾) (1954-) life and his architecture? Labeling Kuma’s architecture as a continuation of an essential Japanese timeline through claims about the embeddedness of a ‘Japaneseness’, despite the relatively recent invention hereof after the Meiji revolution, could be legitimizing stereotyping of the past, and is questionable. When applying the concept of cultural hybridity one can acknowledge that the formation of Kuma’s architecture is influenced by numerous intercultural flows. It has been informed by practices and philosophies from in- and outside the Japanese island region, and is underlied by an entanglement of sub- and trans-national—as well as personal—influences.Show less
The growing tide of nationalism in the People's Republic of China had increased the need to gain insight into discourses around national identity. This thesis analyses the Chinese self through its...Show moreThe growing tide of nationalism in the People's Republic of China had increased the need to gain insight into discourses around national identity. This thesis analyses the Chinese self through its depiction in the CCTV-series "Foreigner in China". Through its depiction of both foreigners and minority ethnicities living in the PRC and its implicit comparison to the Chinese 'self', the series appears to align closely to the division of traits as originally described in Said's "Orientalism". The Chinese self, therefore, is constructed by mirroring itself both with an Occidental other, the foreigner, and an Oriental other, the minorities depicted in the series.Show less
Academics are concerned about declining political participation among the youth in established democracies and for a good reason. In recent years, declining voter turnout of citizens under the age...Show moreAcademics are concerned about declining political participation among the youth in established democracies and for a good reason. In recent years, declining voter turnout of citizens under the age of 29 has demonstrated the youth's indifference towards politics. There are several contradicting theories on why this phenomenon takes place. However, we can roughly distinguish two views: On the one side, academics condemn youth for having no political interest or knowledge and thus label the youth as 'apathetic.' Alternatively, some scholars agree that growing levels of education and income have resulted in young people acquiring more political understanding. As a result, the youth has managed to apply this newfound knowledge and employ alternative ways of political participation. Similar theories about youth participation and apathy exist in the world's largest existing democracy, India. However, considerably less research has been conducted on alternative trends of youth participation in this 'non-Western' region. To raise awareness of this issue, this thesis will contribute to the existing literature by establishing a pattern of youth political participation in the Indian state of Kerala. This research will show that a unique combination of exceptional socio-economic standards and traditional Indian values has produced a unique pattern of political participation, invalidating the theory of youth apathy.Show less
This thesis takes an in-depth look at policies and measures that the Chinese government has taken that will make it desirable to bear more children and how this has possibly changed the Chinese...Show moreThis thesis takes an in-depth look at policies and measures that the Chinese government has taken that will make it desirable to bear more children and how this has possibly changed the Chinese Communist Party’s perception of gender.Show less
This study looks at how otaku relate to and engage works, building on previous research showing that affect is the lynchpin for otaku, the axis around which their engagement with works revolves....Show moreThis study looks at how otaku relate to and engage works, building on previous research showing that affect is the lynchpin for otaku, the axis around which their engagement with works revolves. Through mainly looking at anime this matter will be approached from a film studies perspective. This study takes the Narrative consumption and Database consumption theories, by Ōtsuka Eiji and Azuma Hiroki respectively and underpins(integrates) them with Carl Plantinga’s theory on affect elicitation, thus demonstrating that Plantinga’s theory is absolutely imperative to making these theories function and creating an ‘integrative theoretical framework’.Show less
For Chinese men, finding a partner has become a precarious struggle as there are approximately 30 million more men than women of 24-40 years old in China. Existing literature provides an insight...Show moreFor Chinese men, finding a partner has become a precarious struggle as there are approximately 30 million more men than women of 24-40 years old in China. Existing literature provides an insight into how this demographic reality affects men with a low social status, but how does China's younger generation of men deal with it? This thesis builds on data derived from interviews with eight male Chinese exchange students in the Netherlands. The data shows how my interviewees are willing to step out of the traditional path towards marriage, but are being held back by the consequences of China's demographic reality. The results should be considered with the limitations of this study, but despite these limitations, my research indicates the importance of researching China’s generation of younger middle to high-class men.Show less
Japan’s nuclear power policies changed profoundly after the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011. Eleven years later, however, the global fight against climate change contributed to the re-evaluation of...Show moreJapan’s nuclear power policies changed profoundly after the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011. Eleven years later, however, the global fight against climate change contributed to the re-evaluation of atomic power as a valuable energy source, and the Japanese government forecasted a 20-22% of overall nuclear production target for 2030. At this moment, 27 reactors shut down permanently, 2 are under construction, and 33 are deemed operable: only 10 of those, however, have restarted their operation so far. This thesis shows how the civil society’s opposition, the new safety rules approved in 2013, and the production limits of the operable power plants constitute the key reasons why the production goals set by the Japanese government for 2030 are unrealistic.Show less
South Korea is seen globally as an example of efficient COVID-19 response. Yet, advocates of this “South Korean model” tend to focus on high technology with a short-termed securitisation...Show moreSouth Korea is seen globally as an example of efficient COVID-19 response. Yet, advocates of this “South Korean model” tend to focus on high technology with a short-termed securitisation perspective, and fail to appreciate the importance of the health reform process happening prior to the COVID-19 crisis. A significant number of health reforms took place between 2015 and 2020, aiming specifically at improving the Korean infectious disease response system. These reforms resulted from the failure of containing the Middle East respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus outbreak (MERS-CoV), which hit South Korea in 2015 and escalated dramatically due to poor crisis management and lack of an efficient infectious disease response system. This thesis will demonstrate that the health reform process between 2015 and 2020 was democratic and enabled South Korea to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.Show less
Representative of the new and daring generation, Matsui Fuyuko experiments with traditional Japanese art and infuses it with grotesque motifs that respond to contemporary interests and anxieties....Show moreRepresentative of the new and daring generation, Matsui Fuyuko experiments with traditional Japanese art and infuses it with grotesque motifs that respond to contemporary interests and anxieties. She discusses the delicate topics of female suffering and self-expression, which broaches unavoidably the salience of religious influence on the historical formation of gender roles in the Japanese society. In this thesis, I will analyze this subject through the dichotomy of purity versus impurity, as it is instrumental in organizing space in the lives of ordinary Japanese. In varied contexts, purity is used to contrast the sacred and the abominable, the clean and the polluted, or the male and the female body. By placing the paintings of Matsui Fuyuko in the syncretic religious context unique to Japan, it is possible to establish a connection between Buddhist meditation practices and Shinto rituals. In this sense, the aesthetic collation of the pure feminine and the shock-inducing realism of the rotting female corpse in Matsui's paintings can be seen as a form of social protest against pernicious gender biases. She challenges the traditional expectations towards women to display humility, self-restraint and to embrace their role as mothers and caretakers by instead painting them in defiant and provocative poses. The main question to be tackled in this research is how the painter modifies the concept of purity to communicate her feelings and ideas to the viewer through artistic means. I will disclose why the art of Matsui Fuyuko can be seen as an emotional purification of the artist, a meditative tool for the audience, as well as how it defies traditional views on the female body.Show less
This paper centres on the masculinity found in K-pop and argues that this type of masculinity reinforces traditional gender roles. To reveal how unequal gender relations manifest themselves in the...Show moreThis paper centres on the masculinity found in K-pop and argues that this type of masculinity reinforces traditional gender roles. To reveal how unequal gender relations manifest themselves in the joint performances of male and female K-pop idols, a textual analysis based on Goffman’s framework is provided. With this, I seek to underline the argument made by Elfving-Hwang, Ainslie, Lin and Rudolf, who state that the masculinity found in K-pop does not, as is often claimed, signal the demise of hegemonic masculinity. The present research forms a valuable contribution to this argument due to the specific focus on the interaction between idols. This is important, given that gender is a relational concept and the interaction between idols has, within the current discourse, not received enough attention. I conclude that there are four mechanisms working to perpetuate traditional gender roles: the subordination by camera work and montage, the reassertion of masculinity, subsiding the subordinating effect of gender displays and the retainment of “appropriate” femininity.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the legacy of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies in the present-day Netherlands. Often, studies on the memorialization of the...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the legacy of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies in the present-day Netherlands. Often, studies on the memorialization of the colonial period focus on binary categories of colonizer and the colonized, in this case, the Dutch and the Indonesians. Historically there has been a group that posed a challenge to the rigid frames of both Dutch and Indonesian identity politics: the Indo-Europeans. This thesis focuses on the post-colonial identity formation of first-generation Dutch Indo-Europeans and the role the past plays in this process. The research question that this thesis tries to answer is the following: How did the colonial racist policies in the Dutch East Indies influence the identity formation of first-generation Dutch Indo-Europeans? In order to answer this question, this thesis relies on oral history. Forty hours of interviews with twelve Dutch Indo-Europeans have been analysed using grounded theory. The analysis of the dominant memory discourse shows that the memories of the late colonial and early post-colonial society of the first-generation Dutch Indo-Europeans are highly structured, plotted narratives. This dominant plot sequence shapes most of their memories, including the memories of segregation in society. An intersectional analysis of their recollections further indicates that not only race but especially class and gender were also important factors for explaining difference in the late colonial and early post-colonial society. This work suggests that post-colonial identity formation of first-generation Dutch Indo-Europeans is highly influenced by the colonial past, and by colonial racist policies in the Dutch East Indies more specifically. The narratives of the interviewees echo certain colonial discourses, of which two are identified and discussed in this thesis extensively: a discourse of ‘in-betweenness’ and an oriental discourse. Dutch Indo-Europeans identify themselves in relation to Dutch and Indonesians, positioning themselves in between these two categories, a legacy of the legal categories based on race in the colonial society. The oriental discourse that was used to legitimize these racist colonial policies shaped the self-identification of first-generation Dutch Indo-Europeans as well.Show less
This paper uses candidate lists from Indonesia's legislative elections between 2004 and 2019 to examine the relationships between district and party switching and incumbency, list position and...Show moreThis paper uses candidate lists from Indonesia's legislative elections between 2004 and 2019 to examine the relationships between district and party switching and incumbency, list position and other personal characteristics. The paper concludes that there is no effect between district and party switching with chances of electability, owing to the discovery of a negative correlation in the data. It also finds that frequent switching is more prominent among unsuccessful younger candidates because switching parties requires incumbents to step down more than a year before the end of their term.Show less
All over the world local governments engage in ‘decentral diplomacy’, which refers to the international relations of sub-state regions (Dams, 2022; Šimalčík, Šebok, Kalivoda, & Blablová, 2021)....Show moreAll over the world local governments engage in ‘decentral diplomacy’, which refers to the international relations of sub-state regions (Dams, 2022; Šimalčík, Šebok, Kalivoda, & Blablová, 2021). European regions often engage in decentral diplomacy with Chinese provinces because of the expected economic outcome. The question is often asked, however, how does a region economically make the most out of these relationships? This thesis studies the domestic state-local political dynamism that influences economic opportunities emerging from the provincial relationship with Jiangsu province. In an interview-based comparative case study using a most similar systems design, the Dutch province Noord-Brabant is compared to the Moravian Silesian Region in Czechia. Whereas these regions are comparable in certain aspects, of which their relationship to Jiangsu is the most important, this thesis makes the comparison studying three dissimilar factors: the extent of central-local coordination on China policy, the institutional structure of the regional relationships, and the local institutional bureaucratic effort. These factors are expected to explain the difference in economic opportunities emerged through the relationship with Jiangsu province. Studying the determinants of good interstate relations at the local level, this thesis finds that based on these two cases particularly the institutional structure of the regional relationships and the local institutional bureaucratic effort are important for economic opportunities emerged through the relationship with Jiangsu.Show less
